The Last Farewell
by Rosabell
Summary: Seto is dead. Murdered. But his spirit remained because he still had some unfinished business. He needs to help his brother, his friends, and at the same time, prove who he really is.
1. Default Chapter

The Last Farewell

Chapter 1

_It wasn't really hard, accepting that I'm dead. It simply feels strange, to exist and yet not. One needs to be there to feel it. I can't describe it in words._

Seto looked around the room. Everything seemed ten times more _real_ then before. Colors, no matter how dull, were more vivid.

It was quite early in the morning- six seventeen, the thirtieth of April on a calm and sunny day blessed with winds and merciful clouds. The young teenager turned around and went through the door out into the hallway. No servants were out yet. Normally, he would be the first to wake up at this hour, and begin to pack his things, preparing for the day.

But today it was different. Seto was already prepared. There was much he needed to do. Before he would have panicked, but today he was calm and relaxed. There was no need to rush. He had time. And a lot of it. Why leave earlier than you need to?

_ It's hard, life. Especially when you don't have anyone to depend on. No one cares about you. You're just another mouth to feed. That was how I was. So was it any wonder that I turned out the way I did? _

People don't just wish they were evil and become evil. No one wants to become evil, or cold, or heartless. It's a slow process, turning a kind heart into a worn shabby one, finally wearing it into the core so that there was no love left. I still had love though.

I wanted to become a doctor. Strange, eh? A doctor, so I could help so many needy people. Maybe a brain surgeon. Maybe a dermatologist. Maybe a neurologist, but that's not a doctor. But I wanted to help people. Then my parents died.

Become a doctor, without any support. Baloney!

So I took Kaiba Corps into my hands. If I can't become something I wanted, let Mokuba. I can't ruin Mokuba for my own sake.

So I became a CEO.

So I became Seto Kaiba.

  
  
" Say, how come we never saw Kaiba these days?" Jou asked Mokuba. Mokuba hesitated.   
" He just doesn't want to show himself, I guess." Mokuba said uncomfortably. " He's busy."  
" Ah, whatever. I was jus' curious, after all." Jou shrugged. " He's always with you, really."  
" Do you think he's hiding from you?" Anzu asked Yugi. Yugi shrugged.   
" Why would he?"  
" After that tournament?"  
" Oni-chan wouldn't be afraid of Yugi." Mokuba answered. " He was never afraid of him. He's only afraid of getting beaten, but these days that changed."

The others all looked at Mokuba.

" So why _is _he hiding then?" Yugi asked.   
" Un, it's obvious he's hiding." Honda agreed.

Mokuba thought for a while. " Something happened to him. Don't worry. He'll tell you, he promised."

" Huh?" Everyone blinked. Mokuba only chuckled, but refused to answer any more questions.

  
  
_ Yugi? Yugi is a weakling, sad but true. Iie, that's not right. He was not a weakling. He can be strong if he wants to, but it's just that he doesn't know when to submit and when to fight. Sometimes he fights for the wrong things. Other times he doesn't fight when it's time to fight._

I've known this even when I was alive. That was one reason why I never respected Yugi as much as I probably ought. He was so inexperienced. Innocence is one thing, inexperience is another. Yugi may be innocent, but innocence doesn't kill you. Inexperience does.

Yugi might get killed. Someone else will first, though, before he does. Someone who supported him throughout his childhood. Someone who he depended on. And it wasn't Yami. Iie, Yami only appeared recently. Yugi had a stronger bond with someone.

I can't rescue Sugoruku. I can help Yugi though. Yugi, and Yami, perhaps. Which is why I'm at the company now.

Seto sold a fourth of his stock and smiled. He shut off the computer and closed his eyes. He's going to have to put it in Sugoruku's bank account. He'll have to do it slowly now, that way...

That way it will seem natural.

Hahaha! That is so ironic! Natural! A ghost, natural!

" The mansion? That mansion will be the last thing. Have to remember to." Seto looked at the window. " Can't leave it there if no one's going to live in it, eh? What's today's date? The second of May. Well! We still have a lot of days left. Mokuba will have plenty of time, and so will I."

_Dow Jones is doing very bad._

" Well?" Seto paused. " I guess I have to get going now."

  
  
_Jou was right there. He's smarter then I thought. Perhaps it's because of his accent that he sounded so crude. He just saw me, and blinked, wondering what I was doing here. Or maybe more, why I was wearing pale blue gray robes._

I'm a ghost, Jou. Hahaha.

" Katsuya." I said.  
" Kaiba?" Jou blinked. " What are you doin here?"  
" There are things that I have to take care of."  
" Yeah, sure. There's always something you have to take care of." He sniffed.  
" Sit down." I said.

Jou looked surprised. Then a look of comprehension crossed his face. " I'm not a dog_."  
" I did not think that you are." I answered. " Come. Sit next to me."_

Jou looked even more surprised, and nervously sat by my side. The sun was beginning to set. The winds were beginning to get chilly.

" Tell me Jou. How long do you plan to play Duel Monsters?"  
" For as long as it's popular."  
" Oh, that will go one for plenty of centuries, believe me." I laughed, amused. " It's like how Nintendo lasted for over twenty years. And those kinds of games will last far longer."  
" Yeah? Well, what about it?"  
" Do you intend to play Duel Monsters for the rest of your life?" I asked.  
" I guess. Why?"  
" You'll never be successful with that_ deck of yours."_

Jou looked offended. " Hey, if you're making fun of my-"  
" No one's making fun of your deck. I'm just pointing out the facts. Sit down."

Jou sat.

" Jou, the reason I'm telling you this is because I am quitting."  
" You're-you're quitting?"  
" A logical conclusion to my situation."  
" What? Why? Because Yami defeated you?"  
" Iie. Yami and I are close. I can always defeat him back. He trusts in the heart of the cards too much. One day it will fail him. But I am quitting. I will no longer play Duel Monsters. Do you know what that means?"  
" You're a coward."  
" Perhaps." I chuckled, even more amused. " But I am in a situation you can never imagine. Come, feel my hand."

Jou gingerly poked at my hand, as if I were an iron. " Gah! You're as cold as ice!"  
" Now answer my question. I am quitting Duel Monsters, so what does that mean?"

Jou blinked. " You don't need your deck."  
" Naturally. So I am giving it to you. Including the Blue Eyes. I won't need it anymore."  
" But..." Jou paused for a long time. " Don't you need it?"  
" Why should I need it?" I asked.  
" Wouldn't...you want to keep it...for memory?"

I laughed. " You don't know my situation Jou." I knew he was more surprised at my laughter than at what I was saying to him. " Time will come. Take my hand. Feel it, good and well, and you'll get a nick of what's happened to me."

Jou obeyed, taking my hand. His face paled.  
" No living thing can be this cold..." He whispered.  
" Make your conclusion Jou." I answered, standing up. " I don't think your ancestors play Duel Monsters these days."

  
  
" When you put it that way," Yugi sniffed. " Fine. I'll enter the tournament. I was hoping to get some rest these days."

Ryou smiled. " Well, I guess you can't, then. Trust me, it'll be fun! No wackos trying to get your puzzle. Just clean, honest games."  
" Fine."

Jou entered the shop and came towards them.  
" Hey Jou. Daijoubu?" Anzu asked. " You look like you've seen a ghost."  
_I did see a ghost._ Jou thought. " Why? What makes you say that?"  
" You're so pale." Honda agreed. " Did something happen?"  
" Nah, nothing happened. I guess it's just the light." Jou shrugged. " Although..." He thought for a moment. _Maybe they should know some of it..._ " Kaiba. I saw Kaiba today."  
" Really?" Ryou blinked. " Did he insult you badly or something?"  
" Iie." Jou was surprised. " Actually, he was very...nice to me. There was something off though. He seemed so sad."

There was a brief pause.

" Well?" Honda began. " Care to tell us what happened?"  
" Hai, don't keep us in suspense!" Ryou laughed.

Jou shifted a little. _ Maybe this wasn't a good idea. _" He said he's quitting."  
" Quitting...Duel Monsters?"  
" Hai, you baka. What else?" Jou snapped at Anzu. " He said he was quitting."  
" Nani? Why? Was it because of Yugi and Yami?" Honda asked. Yami looked troubled.  
" Actually, iie. He said it was totally not because of that. More of because..." Jou shrugged. " I don't know. He kept on saying something about his situation."  
" What situation?" Yami asked.  
" Dunno." Jou thought it best to keep that part secret, for Seto's sake. " Never mentioned."  
" Why would he tell you that though?" Yugi asked. " I mean, you, out of all people."  
" He gave me his deck."  
" NANI?!!"

Jou winced. " Hai, he gave me his deck. What about it?"  
" Including the Blue Eyes White Dragon?" Yugi cried.  
" Hai."  
" All three of them?" Anzu asked.  
" Hai. Here, I'll show you." Jou took the deck out. He searched. Sure enough, there were three Blue Eyes White Dragons.  
" Sure you didn't steal it?"  
" Hey!" Jou wacked Honda on the head. " I wouldn't do that!"  
" So he really is quitting." Yugi looked at Yami. " He really is quitting. Do you think it's my fault, and he wouldn't admit it?"  
" Iie. It wasn't your fault. He was quite honest." Jou answered. " He said you and he were the same, and he could always beat you back again. The situation he's talking about was another totally unrelated thing." _I hope._  
" Did he tell you the situation?"  
" Iie." Jou answered.

  
  
_ I was never weak. Weakness has many definitions, and none of them define me. Strong? Was I strong? Strength has many definitions as well. I do not know. I know it takes a lot of strength to be who I was, a guardian and yet a child. Did I succeed? It depends. I do not call Kaiba Corps a success. I call that an obstacle. An obstacle I'll never fight past. I will never become the doctor that I dreamed to be. Neither will Mokuba._

Was I coldhearted? It depends. Most people say that I am. Incapable of compassion. Yet I am capable of compassion. Mokuba was my life. My flesh and blood. We shared the same parents, the same mind. And yet people point to Yugi and the others.

I never cared about Yugi. Should everyone care for strangers? When you see a boy with friends, walking down the street, do you care about him? Iie, you only care about people you know. You do not care about that newcomer in the park, that strange face in school, that cashier in the market. You care about your classmates, your siblings, your parents and grandparents. You do not care about those you barely see. That was how Yugi was. A passerby. Someone who just picked some dust out of my life and will soon walk away again, without changing anything. 

For Yugi, well, for Yugi that's different. He cared about everyone. That is sometimes good. It's usually bad though. Yugi is invulnerable. The people he cared about aren't. And when your enemies cannot attack you, they attack those you care about. Sometimes that doesn't work. Your friends stay alive and well. But almost always they acheive part if not all of what they wanted. Blackmail, tricks, so you obey them. You must submit to their power.

Everyone knows I'm not the type to submit so easily. That ordeal with Pegasus was an exception. Which was more important, my pride or Mokuba's? So I thought about how Mokuba would feel if I abandoned him for the sake of myself. Mokuba would think his big brother was a coward. He was proud of me, as I was proud of him. Abandoning him would change that.

Was I coldhearted? It depends. Should I care about Katsuya, who I barely knew? Do people care about those who are annoying, those who pester you with insults, challenge you relentlessly and show nothing good about themselves? Do people care about those who hate you? Should I hurt myself by caring about someone who thinks nothing of me?

They say I am coldhearted. It's easy to be coldhearted. Coldhearted people were always weak and frail. Ryou's yami was a perfect example. That spirit was even more ' coldhearted' than I am. Yet he's a coward, a coward, weak at heart and mind. A little torture will break him to pieces.

And we all know I'm not that kind. I am not weak. I was never weak.

Was I coldhearted, then?

  
  
" I want to see Seto Kaiba."  
" Gomen, kids. He can't see anyone today."  
" Why not?" Yugi asked.  
" Too busy. Knew you guys would come. Says he's really sorry."  
" How did he know we were coming?" Honda asked.  
" Dunno. How should I? It's not like Kaiba tells me anything." The man answered.  
" But this is really important. Can I go at least? That way there's only one person." Yugi blinked.  
" Iie, gomen. He can't see anyone."

The group looked at each other and retreated out of the building.  
" That's odd. Why won't he see us?" Yugi asked.  
" Why would he?" Honda pointed out. " It's not like we're best friends or anything."  
" The guy seemed very polite today." Anzu observed.

There was a silence.

  
  
Seto looked up at the phone when it began ringing. Should he answer? He knew who it was. It was Yugi. Yugi, who was always afraid of offending people or ruining their lives. Lives. How ironic!

He should be more worried about his own life right now. Seto ignored the phone. He sold off an eighth of his remaining stock. Not enough to show that he was abandoning the company, but enough to make it lose some of its worth. That way people would think about buying Kaiba Corps.

Not really. He still needs to sell more.

The phone rang again. Seto paused. Yugi was getting worried. Perhaps he should answer to comfort the boy.

" Hi Yugi." He said when he picked up the phone.  
" Kaiba? How did you know it was me?" Yugi's voice sounded confused.  
  
Seto thought quickly. " The guy downstairs told me you wanted to see me today. I figured it couldn't be Jou or the others. Is anything wrong?"  
" Kaiba, I heard that you were quitting."  
" Oh." Seto clicked the mouse and leaned back.  
" Is that true?"  
" Hai."  
" Why?"  
" I thought Jou told you."  
" He said you are in some kind of situation."  
" So Mokuba didn't tell you."  
" You mean Mokuba knows?"  
" Not really."  
" Kaiba...you're not making sense."  
" Let's just say that it's going to stay that way until I finish what I am-whoa, I still have a lot." Seto looked at the monitor. " How am I supposed to get rid of _that _in several weeks?"  
" Nani?"  
" Nothing Yugi. Just the company." Which was true.  
" Something wrong?"  
" Iie. It's okay. Were you calling because you think I gave up because of you?"  
" ..."

Seto laughed. It was a lighthearted laugh, a kind Yugi never heard from him before. It was an amused yet kind laugh, one that made Yugi surprised and yet warm inside.  
" One reason I kept you away is because Yami would see me." Seto finished. " When he sees me, the secret would be out. And some secrets must be let out at the right time.

  
  
_ I understood Yami even more than he understood himself. Yami had many weaknesses. He was weaker than Yugi. His pride was his weakness. It is so easily broken. It's easy to become the best. It's not easy to remain one. And that was Yami's position-he was already the best. But others are catching on._

Do I hate Yami? Many think I do. Others think I love him, but just kept on denying it. I do not hate Yami. I do not love him either. He is a spirit doomed to live like a ghost inside an item with no key. He will never be able to go where I will go. Home, home where all spirits will dwell once their life passes away. He will never join his friends when they die. He will always feel the pain as everyone he loves departs from this world and he'll know that he will never see them again.

Do I hate Yami? Iie, I pity him. A morbid soul doomed to despair. He was cursed. Not like me. I am blessed. And I look upon that sorry spirit, shrouded in darkness.

Should I hate a sorry figure? Should I hate someone less lucky than I?

Was I coldhearted?

Towards Yami? Perhaps. I was indifferent to him at first. Yami had too much pride, and people like me despise that kind. Gradually I pitied him.

I have done something for Jou. I am doing something for Yugi. Perhaps I should do something for Yami, in addtion to...

Would a coldhearted person do all this when he was supposed to be resting? 


	2. Chapter 2

The Last Farewell

Chapter 2

Seto walked down the street carrying his suitcase. It was raining, and he had his hood on and he was carrying an umbrella. It was freezing cold, the sky was dreary and gray.

" Kaiba?"

Seto turned around. Jou was standing there. He had no umbrella or hood, and his hair was drenched. He was staring at Seto with a confused look, and shivered from the cold. Seto studied him for a moment before approaching Jou and shielding him from the rain.

" I would think you would have used my cards by now, along with your Red Eyes Black Dragon."  
" I was wondering why you gave them to me in the first place. You could have given them to Yugi."  
" Your Red Eyes was one reason."  
" What do you mean?"  
" People called me the Dragon Tamer." Seto answered, his voice oddly warm. " You were the second. After all, the Red Eyes _could_ rival the Blue Eyes."  
" But...Yugi had the Curse-"  
" The Curse of Dragon? Please! It's nothing compared to the Red Eyes." Seto smiled. " What are you doing out here in the rain?"  
" Saw you."

Seto paused.

" Yugi called you. He said you acted strangely."  
" Really."  
" Why don't you want to tell them?"  
" There were many things I have to do."  
" How did you become like this?" Jou blurted. " Were you always..."  
" Iie." Seto's blue eyes became clouded as he stared off into some unknown memory. " It was terrible, Jou. A terrible way to die."

Jou shivered. It seemed like a bad idea to ask now. The way Seto had said it...it seemed to be horrible indeed.

" It was late at night." Seto said softly, his eyes dazed. " I tucked Mokuba into bed and was going out for late night work. I had a lot of work to do that night, and I planned on staying at the building. Several drunken men grabbed me as I arrived. They were drunk, they were strong. I could not fight them, try as I might. Deep fear welled in my heart, as well as confusion. Had they been waiting there all along? They laughed. They knew not who I was. I could not cry out for help. There was no one nearby. Up ahead in the darkness I could make out two large pieces of sturdy wood, perpendicular to each other. There were more men around it. They threw me on the wooden pieces."

Jou blinked. " It was a cross?"

" They took out hammers, and huge, thick iron nails. They pulled my arms apart and drove the nails into my wrists and ankles. I screamed and they laughed. Gradually the pain lessened, Jou. Because I was unconscious. I woke to find the cross had been raised. There was a burning pain everywhere. The sun was beginning to rise. Someone pulled me, nails and all, down the cross. The nails held on, and ripped through my hands and feet. I screamed. There was blood everywhere, and someone was hammering a nail through my head. One, two, three..."

  
  
_ Mokuba screamed and wailed when he realized what happened. He grabbed on to me, sobbing, and clung on as if I would disappear if he didn't. I almost regretted telling him the truth, but I felt he must know._

" Ni-san! Oni-san!" He cried. " Onegai! Tell me it's not true! I don't want you to leave me! Not like Oka-san and Otou-san! Onegai! Don't leave me!"

I bent down to his level and took his hands into my cold ones and smiled sadly at him. He was trembling, his tearfilled eyes gazing pleadingly at mine. It was strange, when something like this happens he doesn't use his puppy eyes.

" I'm not going to leave you Mokuba. Not if you don't want me to." I told Mokuba. " But...it will be hard to stay here-"  
" I want to go with you! I don't care if I die!" Mokuba cried, clinging to me again. " Oni-san!"  
" Are you sure about that?" I asked, uncertain about how quickly he had made his decision.  
" I won't be anything without you!" Mokuba wailed. " I can't go on if you leave me!"  
" Mokuba," I bent down to his level. He stared at me with his tearfilled eyes, " You can always come with me. You know that. But if you do, you will never come back again, not as yourself, probably not as my brother. You'll be leaving Yugi and everything else you know to enter a world full of strangers and things beyond your understanding. Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to abandon everything?"  
" If I stay here I would be abandoning everything." Mokuba's eyes turned hard and his jaw was set. " I'm not going to leave my brother for a bunch of friends. I care about you more than anyone else and it had always been that way. It always will."  
" You might have a second chance if you stay." I told him. " Perhaps you'll be someone successful. You'll be famous-"  
" I don't care!" Mokuba sniffed. " Oni-san, you know I don't care about fame or money or success. I just want to be with you. Before, you always go to work and we barely had time to spend together. But I always took comfort because I knew that whenever you were able you would spend time with me. Now if you're going you still would try but you won't be able to and I'll never see you again. I'm not going to let that happen!"

  
  
" What about...what about Mokuba? Are you going to leave him?" Jou asked. " Or are you going to stay here?"  
" I'm not going to stay here. No ghost stays here for long." Seto answered. " Mokuba will not stay here long either."  
" You're going to murder him?" Jou cried, incredulously.  
" Murder?" Seto cocked his head, slightly confused. " Who speaks of murder? Murder is to kill someone without their will and without right. I am not killing Mokuba without his will. I told him he will never return. He wanted to be with me. And besides," Seto smiled, and that smile made Jou feel overwhelmed with an undefined emotion, " if I leave him here, he'll be unprotected and alone. I'll murder him then. Now he's coming with me. We will be together for as long as we want. Maybe even forever, if we decide not to come back. I will not leave him alone. Not when I have so much time." Seto smiled at the irony of it. " Life passes quickly, does it not?"

  
  
_" Oni-san?"  
" Hai, Mokuba?"  
" It's not going to hurt, right?"  
" You won't even know when it starts." I promised. " You won't know until it's finished."  
" Okay." Mokuba smiled. " When?"  
" Patience," I laughed. " I've never met a child more impatient to die. I have many things to do. Yugi's grandfather is going to die and I have to prepare Yugi and Yami for it-Yami most of all, because he is Yugi's guardian. Then I have to find someone to trade your life with. Someone dead, of course. I have to give my deck to Jou."  
" Why Jou?"  
" He is the next Dragon Tamer."  
" With that Red Eyes of his?"  
" Of course."_

Mokuba blinked. " Okay...but I thought you hate Jou."  
" Hate a goofball? Please!" I laughed. " Now, give me a suggestion. Who should I give life to?"

Mokuba paused. Slowly a smile spread across his face. " You decided already!" He accused.  
  
I laughed. " Smart. But I always knew you were. For this to work, however, I need the help of the Millennium Items, as well as that gate."  
" Are you going to tell the others?"  
" No need. I'm a ghost, remember? I can do whatever I want." I smiled. " Make people mad. That works, but I don't want to do that. I want to make my name better for a change. I want people to remember me as just Seto. Not the foster son of Gozaburo."

" Gartonian, Gasnog, what's with all these weird names?" Honda blinked.  
" Hey, if there are people named Skunks, there ought to be others." Anzu answered.  
" Uh, right." Honda answered, scowling. " But...geez, why do teachers make you find the rare books?"_  
" _Because they aren't rare at first, you dummy. Everyone starts burrowing the same book. Then, wala."  
  
Honda stretched his back and yawned. " Need a break."  
" After only fifteen minutes? Good heavens!" Anzu rolled her eyes.  
" Hey guys," Yugi waved. Ryou was with him. " What are you doing here?"  
" English teacher wanted us to find an English book." Honda muttered. " Stupid, how English is the international business language. They should make it Japanese."  
" Sure, Japan is the top business country in the world! Yeah, right!" Anzu rolled her eyes again. " It's the US, genius."

Yugi and Ryou chuckled.

_" What do you have at the end of the day?"_

She asked me that question. It's strange. Anzu had this gift of expression and dramatic speeches. It might be a curse, but when it came to making a strange point she makes it directly.

I am fifteen years old. That was how I met Yugi, that was how I died. What can a fifteen year old get at the end of the day? Some new information on World War II? A new way to do trigonometry? A new law in chemistry?

Be glad, Anzu, that you have a place you belong to. That there is a crowd where you can simply be yourself, no matter how annoying, no matter how upsetting, and yet no one will push you away but will pull you into their circle as they gathered. When I was little people laughed. Seto Kaiba was never the son of Gozaburo. Some people stick to the truth-Seto was an orphan. Others made stories. Seto was a son of a prostitute. No one can make fun of me during class because I was smarter than them all. But when it came to normal times, normal times when children were remembered for, they reject me. 

Was it my choice not to have a childhood? It's like this, Anzu. Childhood can be spent in different ways. My childhood was a struggle to survive. You see children playing in the park and you smile. Some people shiver at the thought that they were once so little. It's all the same. Childhood only lasts so long. Once it's gone you'll never get it back. You'll never have a chance to be so carefree, so dependent, so relaxed, knowing that if something goes wrong your mother and father will be there to pull you through. You can be naughty. You can be nice. You'll still get gifts from Santa. You can celebrate your birthday. You can wonder at the most trivial things. When that childhood is over, you can never be so carefree. When you play people frown at you, thinking your irresponsible. You will never have the benefit of a doubt. Your parents will never pull you through difficult situations because you have to learn to pull through them yourself.

I was never carefree when my parents died. I was never able to play, and when I get into a difficult situation I can never expect Gozaburo to pull me through it because he's not my father and he wouldn't care for me like a father would. He will turn his back on me and say " You brought it on yourself." So I learned to grow fast. I sacrificed my childhood for Mokuba's. See how childish he is? He's lucky. He could afford to be a child.

What do I have at the end of the day? I have nothing. But the question shouldn't be directed at me, Anzu. It should be directed at Mokuba. What do you have at the end of the day, Mokuba? And you will find my brother saying, " I have the luck to go to bed knowing a day of childhood has ended and another day will begin."

  
  
" It's remarkable." Seto nodded, pleased. " Stocks are actually growing? Then that will mean more for Motou. It's good!"

The phone rang.  
" Hi Mokuba." Seto said, while staring at the screen. " Everything okay over there?"  
" Hai." Mokuba giggled. " You're _still_ working on the stocks?"  
" I have to make it slow." Seto answered. " I have a lot of time. I also have other things to do, unfortunately, so that makes this luxury time."  
" How much time?" Mokuba asked.  
" Several more weeks. I extended it."  
" Nani?"  
" We can always leave early." Seto answered.  
" But I want to leave now."

Seto leaned back. He wasn't too happy. " Mokuba, life isn't that hard for you, is it?"  
" It just feels like I'll lose you if I wait too long." Mokuba whispered.

Seto hesitated. " I'll call a driver over. You can spend the afternoon here."  
" Really? You never let me come that often-"  
" Today's special. You won't be seeing this office too much anymore." Seto clicked. " Besides. I can use a little brother to tease once in a while."

Mokuba giggled. Seto hung up and dialed a driver. He turned back to the screen.

They finally got the message. The stocks dropped. Low.

  
  
Mokuba entered the office without smiling, but Seto could tell that his brother was elated.  
" How are the stocks?" He asked.  
" Low. They got the message."  
" About time!"

Seto laughed and rose. " I think I'll take a short break. It's getting boring-nothing's happening over there. I'll have to plan my schedule for tomorrow. Pay a visit to Pegasus, somehow find Noa perhaps, if I feel like it. But then again, this company will fail. Maybe I shouldn't bother with Noa. I also have to pay a visit to Yami. Spirit talk, eh?"  
" Why do you want to talk to Yami?" Mokuba asked.  
" What if I told you I still have a grudge against his dueling skills?" Seto smirked.  
" Nah. I wouldn't believe that."  
" Why not? It's probable."  
" It's clear you're over that, oni-san."

Seto laughed again. " Actually, I think Yami still has a grudge against me." He frowned for a moment. " Even though Yugi doesn't, Yami's very competitive. It wouldn't be nice to leave forever with hard feelings now, would it? And besides, Yami is worse off than I am. It will comfort me much to offer a little sympathy, even if he doesn't want it."

Mokuba grinned. " So what are you going to say to him?"  
" What should I say?" Seto asked. " Perhaps we'll just talk. I want to talk to someone. Other than you."  
" Aww, I'm not enough for you?" Mokuba asked.  
" Of course you're enough for me. You're all I need." Seto laughed, rubbing the boy's hair. " But this will be the last time I speak with Yami, perhaps. I'll have to plan. Then we can go. I think the deal with the stocks will end sooner than I thought." 


	3. Chapter 3

The Last Farewell

Chapter 3

" If you want to," Seto explained, " You can try out the ice cream store. There's one right across the street. You never tasted ice cream, right?"

Bruce shook his head. He never tasted it.  
" Geez, ever since I died I have a lot of time." Seto looked at his programmer. " You can go down to the lobby to wait for me. I'll be there in a minute. I just need to clear up some stuff, then I have a two hour break-ah, then I have to pick up Mokuba because I promised to. Can't forget that. A visit to Pegasus on Duelist Kingdom-is he sulking over there? And perhaps that will take some time. How long? Maybe an hour. Just to get him to agree. The sun should set by then. I can't wake Yugi. So I guess the whole deal with Yami will have to wait till tomorrow."

Bruce blinked. " Alright, so I'll go downstairs."  
" Right. And use the stairs. No one likes ghosts, apparently. I only saved myself by not telling anyone."  
" Nani? I have to go by the stairs?" Bruce groaned. " Those things were a pain! I rejoiced at not having to use them anymore!"  
" Un, well, you can always use the elevator. Pretty modern invention, compared to how long you've been dead." Seto answered. " If there's a problem with the circuit just float back up here. I should get the thing moving without much trouble or suspicion."  
" Alright," Bruce walked out the door. He turned around.  
" Sure I can't just sink down?"  
" Absolutely."  
" Darn." Bruce laughed, then the man turned back and left, heading for the elevator. A few minutes later he returned.  
" How do you work the thing?" He asked.  
" Oh," Seto blinked. " Gomen. I took for granted that everyone could use it. You press the down button, since you're going down. You wait for the door to open. Inside there are several buttons, and you press the one that says M for Main floor. The elevator will sink. Make sure to go along with it and not float through. The elevator will stop, and make sure you don't sink further. The door will open. You step out. Simple enough?"  
" Sounds complicated."  
" You'll understand." Seto turned back to the computer. Bruce shrugged and went out.

  
  
" Nice taste." Bruce observed. Seto laughed. " I told you you would like it. "  
" Awfully sweet though."  
" I know." Seto frowned. " It's true. They put too much sugar. They put too much sugar in everything. That goes for salt and oil as well."  
" But I like it. Might want to suggest it to the others."   
" If they could make it!" Seto laughed. " You might want to add the cake, the cookies, the chocolate chips, perhaps the syrup and the whipped cream as well."  
" I might just do that." Bruce smiled. Then he became serious. " Are you sure about this?"  
" About what?" Seto asked.  
" You know what I mean!" Bruce swallowed. " This whole taking Mokuba thing. I mean, normally a ghost would prefer to be alive again, not dead! The whole point of keeping you here was to give you a choice. You deserved one, after all. You were so successful when you were alive. Now you're just going to throw it all away?"

Seto hesitated. " I guess I never really cared about how it was." He answered. " I did it all for Mokuba."  
" That's the problem with you, little one." Bruce leaned back. " You did everything for Mokuba. You need to do something for yourself. Be a little more selfish."  
" How odd." Seto grinned. " People think I'm selfish enough."  
" For the sake of your brother, I'd agree." Bruce answered. " But for yourself? That's why I want you to think about this. Do you really want to leave this place?"  
" Bruce." Seto began. " That's the one selfish wish I asked for. To get out of this whole poor excuse of a world. I want to be free. A wild bird will die in a cage."  
" And you feel caged."  
" Hai."

Bruce hesitated. " If you're sure about it, Seto. People are going to miss you."  
" Perhaps." Seto answered. " But you want me to be selfish. I'm tired of thinking what others may say."  
" I thought you never really did."  
" I do. I don't want them to think I'm nice."  
" Right. Now you're not nice. You're leaving the only friends you'll ever have in real life. They never even got to know you."  
" And they never will." Seto answered.

Bruce looked at Seto and smiled. " You're a smart child. The world will lose something precious."  
" Precious is as precious does." Seto answered. " I leave this world for the next."

  
  
" So Crawford's coming to Domino." Bruce asked. " Want to spook him? It's one thing the children love to do."  
" I have things to take care of."  
" Oh, right."  
" When would he arrive?" Seto asked.  
" Around the time you should pick Mokuba up." Bruce looked at the clock. " Which is now."  
" Hai." Seto agreed. " I'll be back soon."  
" See you later." Bruce nodded. Seto disappeared.

  
  
_The talk with Bruce did set me thinking. Do I really want to leave Yugi? Jou? Yami and Ryou, Honda, Anzu, Malik, Shadi. _

The truth is, I never belonged with them. I never belonged anywhere. For most people, that's a bad thing. They want to belong somewhere. But I never really thought much of it. I am original. There is no one like me. People respect me because I'm different. But as a result no one trusted me and I could not trust anyone either. How can I, when no one understands me? So is it a wonder that I am leaving now?

I hold no ill against the others. They are normal children. Normal people. And the sad thing is, they try to understand me. They don't know that people like me are hard to understand. I'm not like others. My childhood was not like others. When your parents die, your instincts kick in. Your instinct to survive. And when those instincts kick in, you become independent, gradually, so that while others were still running to their mothers, or crying over a scraped knee, I was already pondering on whether or not I'll have enough money to last the month. Saving it. Buying necessary things. Trying to do well in school so I would be the best. Because when you're nothing, with no family and no friends, anything else won't do.

  
  
" Pegasus."

Pegasus turned around. At first he didn't respond. Seto noticed that Pegasus looked old. He did not have many wrinkles, but the light in his eyes had dimmed. He was pale and thin, a symbol of a hopeless man. He did not seem afraid of Seto. Instead he seemed resigned, resigned to whatever punishment Seto might bring him.

" A word with you?" Seto asked, after a short moment.

Pegasus nodded in his tired way. He looked around, and waved off his men. Seto chose a quiet corner of the room of the hotel.

" I take it you never did find a way."  
" What way?"  
" Your wife, genius." Seto looked around to make sure no one's listening. " Well, consider yourself a lucky man. I'm offering you something for free."  
" You never offer things for free." Pegasus answered flatly.  
" Really? Perhaps I never before." Seto answered. " But when you're in my situation, things change. A lot."  
" What's so special about your situation?"  
" Well, if you know what Yami Yugi is, you'll know what I am."

Pegasus pondered for a moment. His expression didn't change but he paled. " You're dead, then."  
" I know. Isn't that great? I'm here because I had things to take care of."  
" Such as?"  
" Well, giving my deck to Jounouchi, which I did already. Investing money for Yugi Motou, whose grandfather is going to die soon. Settling matters with his Yami, and trying to take Mokuba with me."  
" With you."  
" Hai."  
" So you're going to kill him."  
" In a sense."  
" What has this got to do with me?"  
" Good. I don't need to explain much, then." Seto swallowed. " Mokuba isn't supposed to die. He's supposed to be a doctor like I had planned for myself to become, before our parents died. Mokuba didn't want me to leave him. I can't stay here as a ghost forever. So he wants to come with me. I'm fine with that. Death is beautiful, actually. But he needs someone to replace him. And guess who I chose?"

Pegasus blinked. " C-Cecilia," He stuttered.  
" Exactly. But I need your help, as well as your approval." Seto answered. " I'm sure you wouldn't be too unwilling to do either."

Pegasus paused. " So this does serve you as well."  
" If it doesn't serve me, I wouldn't have thought of it." Seto answered. " But what I meant by free is, it doesn't really cost you anything. Unless you consider helping me get your wife back payment."

Pegasus hesitated for a long while, studying Seto.  
" Just in case you're wondering," Seto muttered, " Someone who's dead, ( like me) would have no reason to get any ' gifts' from the living. You don't need to wonder whether I'm tricking you or not. A ghost doesn't need to do that."  
" How do I know you're a ghost?" Pegasus asked.

Seto laughed. He reached out his hand and touched Pegasus's cheek. The man jerked back and his face paled again, whiter this time.

" Hai, it hurts me as well. You probably gave me second-degree burning." Seto looked at his hand. " Call me anytime. Just call to the air, whenever you made your decision. Just make sure you make it before three weeks are over."

With that, before Pegasus's astonished eyes, the teenager disappeared into thin air.

  
  
" Funny. I thought he would have jumped at the chance to get his wife back, considering that's all he's been trying to do these past few years." Seto said thoughtfully.  
" Considering he once kidnapped your brother and put him in a card, tricked you into dueling him and beating you like an amateur, then putting _you_ in a card, while at the same time trying to take over your company. Right. He'll have absolutely no suspicions." Bruce looked at him oddly.  
" One would think normal people wouldn't be wasting their brains taking over other people's companies but instead making their own."  
" Pegasus isn't normal, and he _was_ trying to get his wife back."  
" True. He did start his own company too. Well, not really his own, anyway, but he revived it."  
" Seto." Bruce laughed. " Poor Seto! You've been lonely too long."  
" I had Mokuba." Seto stuffed the rest of the banana into his mouth. " Although I must admit, having no friends did blow up my confidence in my personality. So I just erased it."  
" Glad to see you got it back when you died." Bruce eyed him. " By the way. What are you going to do about the body?"  
" What body?"  
" Your body."  
" Dunno. Someone bury it for me?"  
" You should get Pegasus."  
" Iie! Pegasus with his wife? No way!"  
" Then who? Yugi?"  
" Maybe Bakura."  
" You're nuts."

Seto smiled, then turned around.

" By the way, your father's coming tomorrow." Bruce answered.  
" Nani?"  
" You know. It's not your blood father."  
" You mean Gozaburo?"  
" Hai."  
" Iie Iie Iie! You can't-"  
" Relax Seto." Bruce chuckled. " It's going to be alright. I promise."

  
  
_" You got yourself a nice place." Gozaburo looked around. " I'm glad to see you living in such luxury."  
" It's not really luxury." I answered. " I didn't really have much time to enjoy it. Mokuba does though."_

Gozaburo nodded. " You've done well." He answered.

I did not reply.

" You were unhappy."  
" Perhaps."  
" Lonely?"  
" A little." I admitted.  
" My fault, I guess."  
" Not really."

Gozaburo laughed. " You're just trying to make me feel better."  
" Not really."  
" Why are you so tense?" He asked.  
" Well," I answered slowly, " I wasn't sure if you were pleased with all of this or not."  
" I really don't care how you lived your life." Gozaburo answered, almost sadly. " As long as you were happy, living would have been worth it. I didn't really expect you to be so willing to leave everything you had."

I was silent for a while. " You're not mad?" I asked timidly.

Gozaburo looked at me with surprise. " Mad? Me? An old spirit?" He laughed, a little sad at my question. " Why would I be mad at you? I'm only disappointed." My heart sank at those words. " I'm disappointed that you died so early. So young, so intelligent. You could have really made a difference. Sure, you've already made a difference, but maybe you'll revolutionize the world, a child of your brains. We already had the Industrial Revolution. What about a Solar one, I wondered? But you died. Those bastards crucified you. Perhaps after you come back to us I'll go personally and crucify them._" He smiled and took my hand. " Seto, before I leave, I want you to know something."  
" Hai?" I asked timidly.  
" I'm proud of you." He answered. " I always was. Even after I went mad, I was still proud of you. It will always be that way."_

I smiled at him. He smiled back, a hearty smile that had attracted me to him the first time we met. Then my father turned around and walked the other way. He was leaving. He never planned to stay long.

" Otou-san!" I called. I suddenly remembered how we parted and wondered if he forgave me for that.

Gozaburo stopped and turned around.  
" The window," I began softly. " Are you-"  
" What window?" He asked. But he was smiling, his eyes warm and gentle. I smiled back. He did forgive me then. Gozaburo winked at me.  
" See you on the other side, son."

Son! He called me his son! My heart rose in my chest. Gozaburo disappeared, but I felt his presence all around me.

  
  
" Tell me again why isn't Yugi coming to Kaiba's with us?" Anzu asked.  
" He has work to do at his grandfather's shop." Yami answered. " Why are you so anxious to see him?"  
" Because I want to ask him something." Jou answered.  
" And you couldn't do it over the phone because..." Honda began.  
" Listen guys, I don't need you all pestering me about this. If you don't want to come then don't."  
" Hey hey hey, we're all in this together." Honda protested. " If you wanna meet that jerk, go ahead, we're coming with you. After all, I'll have a few words with him myself."  
" Don't do anything rash." Jou answered. He rang the doorbell.

They were greeted with a surprise.

" Vat are you doing here?" Seto scolded in a bad interpretation of a German accent in English instead of Japanese. " Vat are you all doing here on _my _property? Get out! Get out! The Kaiba Mancion is haunted! Do you vant to be haunted by the ghosts of Gozaburo Kaiba? No? Den get out!"

All this was done with the queerest smile on the CEO's face. Behind him, Mokuba was laughing.  
" Uh, okay, two questions?" Jou began. " Why are you speaking English when you know Japanese, and also, what's with the accent?"  
" Vat accent?" Seto blinked. " You making fun uv me because uv my accent? You rascal! But as I said, dis house is haunted. If you vant to go have dinner somevere, go somevere else!"  
" Uh, I need to have a word with you...Seto." Jou looked confused.  
" Fine fine. If you vant to be haunted by ghosts, fine with me." Seto moved aside. The group went in, completely puzzled.

Mokuba rushed out and greeted them.  
" Hey! What are you here for? Do you need something?" Mokuba asked.  
" Iie, they don't need anything." Seto switched abruptly to Japanese. " Except when I'm leaving and where the body is."  
" You never told me where it is." Mokuba pouted.  
" Where what is?" Yami stared at Seto.

" Kaiba?"

Seto blinked. " Oh! It's Yami! I'm dead if I'm not already." He muttered. " To think, even as a ghost I can't tell the difference at first glance. I'm such a moron."  
" You-wait, how did this happen?" Yami cried.  
" How?" Seto laughed, and he jumped off the ground and floated playfully near the ceiling, his arms outstretched. " What do you think, Pharaoh? Do you think I commited suicide? Maybe." He got into a sitting position in the air, holding his chin as if he were thinking. " Maybe I got into a car accident. Maybe I fell down the stairs and broke my neck. There are many possibilities." He floated upside down in front of Yami, in the playful mood of his again. " Can you take a guess? Pharaoh? You were always good at games!" Seto laughed and sat on a chair appropriately this time.

" What are you playing at, Kaiba?" Yami gritted his teeth.  
" Oh." Kaiba grew solemn. " Hostility at someone who's just dead. That's nice. But then again, I'm better off then you are. You have the right to be jealous. Still, you didn't get crucified."

Yami blinked. " Nani?" He paled.  
" Yeah, it's painful business." Seto nodded his head, as if he were a professor. " Truly painful business. The hammering of the nails takes up about thirty minutes. Then they pull up the cross, which takes two hours because it keeps on falling back down again. Then there's this making bloody intricate designs over your body-that takes up another three hours. The pulling you off while the nails are still on-that's the reason I died."  
" Spare us the details!" Jou snapped. " Just tell me when you're going."  
" In three weeks." Seto answered. " By the way, I have to find someone to bury that body of mine. Right now it's resting somewhere not clear in my head. No wonder! My brain! It's not in my head!" Seto laughed. " Good to know I'm still intelligent without a true brain."  
" Seto." Yami began.  
" Ah well, I might as well tell you. Three weeks from now, next Saturday at sundown. The portal's in the park by the cliff." Seto answered. " Now go! I told you the Kaiba Mansion is haunted! Vat are you doing here? Get out! Get out! Git out!"

He shooed everyone out of the living room but blocked Yami's way.

" Three weeks from today on Friday, six p.m., Sugoruku will die." He whispered. " I have prepared something for Yugi though. Take good care of him." With that, he pushed the spirit outside and locked the door shut.

Yami stared at the closed door. Then he looked at his friends.

" So Kaiba's dead then." Anzu whispered. " That's why he gave you his deck."  
" He's leaving." Jou answered.

_So is Ji-chan._ Yami thought. But he didn't know whether he was more sorrowful about that or because simply that Seto was dead and will leave, never to be seen again. 


	4. Chapter 4

The Last Farewell

Chapter 4

_ Three weeks pass quickly. Partly because there was much to do. Many spirits came to this world to ask me if I really wanted this. I gave them all the same answer._

Perhaps I would miss this life. But that doesn't mean I want to stay here if I had other choices. I wanted to be with my parents. I wanted to have a life where I do not have to worry about the future. Where I could live for the present because I know the future will be the same or even better.

Three weeks had passed quickly.

Pegasus called after two weeks.

" You made your decision?" I laughed. " Good. Cheer up, Peg, your wife will be with you when I get my brother killed. Just need you there so I can concentrate which soul to switch with which. Ah! The Wizard of Oz!"

So I told him to meet me at the same time Yugi and the others will.

I know Pegasus will definetely be there. But Yugi and the others, they will be late. Too late, perhaps.

  
  
" There's a special ceremony for switching souls." Seto looked at Mokuba. " Unfortunately, it would be quite hard because Cecilia's body is not here. She's rotting under the ground. So I need you to think of her _very_ hard. That way I can use my powers to create a new body. Alright with that?"  
" Hai." Pegasus said uncertainly. He looked better this time, no longer so hopeless, and slightly more energetic.

" Concentrate on her." Seto instructed. " Her eyes, her smile. Her voice..."

Gradually an image of the woman formed in his own mind. Seto closed his eyes, concentrating more on the image and finer details, and the image became stronger.

_" Cual sinct, tu vair...  
Anact sancti...Cisile-"_

Seto made a motion with his arm and the wind began to blow up dust. 

" _Kay la masu dekile,  
Onu fame sinct tule,  
Ayafa dela mu sinct,  
Onu deyshey la muse,"_

Seto's chantings became faster and faster, while the wind blew stronger and stronger.

" _Elniet!" _Seto cried. Then he coughed. A body of a beautiful woman, clothed in fine white, lay on the ground.

" I hate doing that." Seto decided out loud. " It's not worth all the dust." He coughed twice.

Mokuba choked.

Pegasus remained silent, his eyes locked on the dead body.

" Oof," Seto sat down. " Hold on, let me get my head to stop spinning. Ulghlugh..."  
" Oni-san!"  
" Alright, alright." Seto shook his head. " We have her now. Now it's your turn Mokuba." Seto took Mokuba's hands into his. " Ready?"  
" It won't hurt, right?"  
" You won't even feel it." Seto closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and let go of his brother's hands.

Taking a long stick, he drew a large circle around the body and his brother. He drew a line down the middle of the circle, dividing the two sides. He blew at the ground and the circle and line lighted up.

" _Spirit of the Dead,  
Take the life of the living.  
Return to the body placed before you..."_

  
  
To Pegasus, it seemed light was all there was. He could not see Mokuba, he could not see Seto, he could not even see his wife. His eyes hurt by the light and it seemed as if he were standing in front of the sun. He felt his retina begin to burn and shielded himself from the light with his arms. Seto's voice rang out like bells against the roaring in his ears.

_" Fellow spirit! The living command the dead!  
Retreat to where you belong! Cal sye Melenia!  
Allow the living to take the place of the dead!  
Let the darkness give way, Et le mena!"_

  
  
I remember a long time ago. It was raining outside. Mokuba and I sat by the windowsill and Gozaburo was getting into his car.  
" Oni-san?"  
" Hai?" I replied. I felt sore all over. It was a Saturday, which isn't strange.  
" I miss otou-san."

I did not answer. That time I wondered, what if I can change it all? What if otou-san didn't die in that car accident?

Now that I look back I feel so ridiculous. No human can change the past. And Pegasus, a hopeless, heartbroken loverboy, searching this world for someone who's not here. Lonesome wanderer, doomed to always search for something that he'll never find.

If I had searched for my parents that way, would I end up like him? I now look at Pegasus, a broken man. Soon he will be pieced together again, by my hand. But once broken it cannot be healed again. One can piece the pieces together, but the cracks will still be visible.

Pegasus...

  
  
_" When the time comes, the sun will near set. Shadows of old will rise once again, claiming the light for their own. But the shadows will not corrupt the purity of those who are, nor will the light be extinguished. It shall glow, like a candle in the night, a hope in dark times, a will and faith that one day the sun shall shine again. But the world shall now fall into night, hope glittering like millions of stars. And I will join those stars that sparkle in the dark sky, and I will sparkle brighter than all the others, watching as mortals doom to die fight against their fate. When the sun shines again, hope will fade, so at last when this world dies, there will be no candle."_

" Should we wait for them, Ototo-chan?" Seto asked Mokuba. " They'll be too late."  
" Perhaps." Mokuba answered, leaning into his brother's embrace. " But I want to wait. Perhaps they'll catch one last sight of us, even if we don't."

So they waited.

  
  
" Grandpa?" Yugi called. " Ji-chan?"

No answer. 

" Ji-chan?" Yugi went up the stairs. Yami halted in front of the counter. Jou and the others stared at him, confused. There was an odd look on Yami's face. Yugi ran back down the stairs and headed for the basement. " Ji-chan!"

There was a sudden silence and a cry. Yami snapped out of his trance and headed for the basement. Yugi was cradling his grandfather's head, feeling for the beating of the pulse that is now silent. Yami and the others halted, giving Yugi space.

" He's dead." Yami said softly. " Just as Seto had said."  
" Seto?" Yugi looked up in disbelief, the boy trembling and breaking into tears. " You knew too?"  
" Hai." Yami said softly. His eyes fell to the envelope in Sugoruku's hand. Taking the envelope, he hugged the hikari.

" Seto knew. But he had everything covered." Yami said softly. " It's okay, it's okay..."  
" Ji-chan..." Yugi sobbed. 

The boy was more stunned then sorrowful. The death was too sudden, so unprepared. After a few days, Yami knew that Yugi would relive it all with new despair. Seto. His heart darkened with bitterness. Seto knew. But he never did anything. Yet what could he do? Yami stroked the trembling boy's hair, still holding the envelope. Something made him pause briefly.

The handwriting. It was Seto Kaiba's.

  
  
" You could have sacrificed me for Yugi's grandpa."  
" He'll die anyway." Seto answered. " It wouldn't be worth it. You're young. Sugoruku's old. Why trade a young life for an old one? It wouldn't make sense. Pegasus's dear wife is young. So is Pegasus."

A figure made his way over to the brothers. Seto looked up and waved.

_When the time comes, the sun will near set. Shadows of old will rise once again, claiming the light for their own._

" Ahoy, Sugoruku-san!" Seto laughed. " How goes the journey?"  
" Quite pleasant actually." The old man had become a rather young looking man, slightly taller than his old self and with black hair and blonde bangs. He bore a striking resemblance to Yugi as a thirty year old. " It was a pleasant view! By the way, Seto-san, arigatou for helping my son with his finances."  
" Oh, no problem." Seto laughed. " It was the least I could do. Wouldn't want to have Yugi turn out like me, eh?"  
" Iie, don't say that." Sugoruku gave the young boy a hug. " So, I guess we'll be going now?"  
" You can leave." Seto answered. " We're waiting for Yami and the others until sunset. They'll be late, but we'll wait. There's no rush. You ought to go. Your business here is finished. There's a good number of spirits waiting."

Sugoruku paused. " I guess you're right." He said solemnly. " I would like to see my grandson one last time, but they'll never see me."

The man sighed, turning around, and walked off the cliff as if there were an invisible road leading out. He headed towards the sun. The sun briefly opened up to reveal a strange looking place, but as Sugoruku stepped through it closed and became the star it always was.

  
  
_ Sugoruku looked up from behind the counter. " Ah! Kaiba-san. What brings you here?"_

I smile. He seemed surprise at that reaction, but I went on. " I brought an envelope for Yugi and Yami. Can you put it in a safe place?" I knew he would never reach that place, but all the same, as long as the envelope was found in his hands.

Sugoruku blinked. " Of course." He said, accepting the envelope.

I had written my last words to dear Yugi. I told him not to be afraid. I told him that there is still hope in the world as long as he lives. And I told him my life's story, how I fought to survive in a hostile world of which I could never be part of. I told him about how Gozaburo went mad and how I wished I had someone to depend on, to protect me, instead of being the protector. I told him how important having a childhood is, because it is through childhood that you learn to love and to sympathize. Without one and you will get a cold impassive individual with no sense of humanity. A childhood. So I told him to have a childhood, to remember that I was there for him for his financial needs, for I cannot be there with him. But he has Yami, and Yami will be his protector, his guardian, his mother and father, his brother, his family. Yami needs no life. Yugi has one. So Yami can devote his time to love and care for him.

I told Yugi there is no need to be afraid, because he had Jou, and Honda, and Anzu, and Ryou, and even Malik and Shadi. He had his abilities, he had a start on childhood. No one will insult him like they insulted me, or call him a bastard, or beat him up, because Yugi already proved himself and Yami will defend him. And I told him that I love him with all my heart because he was such a kind person, and I worry for him because he had so little experience in life. I warned him of dangers. I told him to stay close to his friends. I gave him my password for my bank account, so he can always get money whenever he needs it. And I told him to burn that password so no one else will know.

For Yami I told him that I also care for him and his plight. I told him to care for Yugi, because there will be a time when the boy will need all the support he can get. I told him never to leave Yugi alone even if he wanted him to, because Yugi is open and friendly and he must stay that way. And I told him that when Yugi dies to burn his body to ashes and scatter them in the wind, and journey to Egypt to where his tomb lay. To place the puzzle around the neck of his old body, and to come back to Japan, and go to the cliff where I last stand. At sunset the gate will open for him and he will pass through and be free like me. Free from the shadows, when the world becomes consumed in shadow.

Am I cold-hearted?

  
  
And I will join those stars that sparkle in the dark sky, and I will sparkle brighter than all the others, watching as mortals doomed to die fight against their fate...

" They got the message." Seto looked at Mokuba. " But look, it's twilight. The sun is beginning to set. Should we still wait?"

Mokuba was surprisingly unwilling. " Let us look around, Oni-chan." He said softly. " This is the world we're about to leave. Just a little longer, perhaps Yugi-tachi will get a glimpse of us, even if we don't."  
" Let us wait then." Seto answered. " Our last hour in this world, alone together. But we will no longer be alone."  
" Hai." Mokuba rested his head on his brother's shoulder as they sat watching the sun setting. " We will be with Oka-san, and Otou-san, and Ji-chan, and all the others."

Seto smiled. It's good to no longer be alone.

_I'm proud of you, son._

  
  
Yugi ran fast for his height. His short legs pumped quickly, as he raced in the direction where the brothers should wait. They had no time! The sun was already setting. Is Seto and Mokuba still waiting?

Yugi sobbed. Why didn't Yami tell him? Why didn't Seto tell him earlier? They're leaving forever.

_ Forever._ Yugi thought, as he raced ahead of the others. _I lost Ji-chan, and now I'm losing Seto and Mokuba. Iie, I already lost them. They're already dead..._

Brushing away his tears, Yugi clenched his jaw in a determined fashion and kept on running, even as his sides began to hurt and his legs began to fail him. Seto is leaving. He's never going to come back...

  
  
_When the sun shines again, hope will fade, so at last when this world dies, there will be no candle._

" Pegasus and Cecilia are far away now." Mokuba mumbled.  
" Pity this world will die so soon." Seto answered. " When the next generation comes the world will burn out."  
" You mean the sun."  
" Both."  
" But Yugi and the others will be alright, right?"  
" Hai. They will have no children. No future. Just like us."  
" But we have a future. Look, the sun has set. Only the last rays glow now."  
" Hai. It is time."

Seto took Mokuba's hand and smiled at his brother. Mokuba smiled back. All thoughts of Yugi-tachi were dropped now. They looked towards the glowing rays. Ahead lay their future. A future where they will be honored and loved. The brothers began walking towards the sun.

Just as they reached the portal, Seto heard a distinct cry.

" Seto!!"

Yugi stared at the figures. He knew they were Mokuba and Seto. But they were too late! They're going!

" Seto!!"

But neither of the figures turned to look back, or stop to wait a moment longer. Before their desperate eyes the group watched as the last remnant of the sun opened to allow the spirits through, and as the ghosts stepped past, the sun closed as the rays of the star dimmed into darkness and the sky blackened into night.

  
  
The sea rose. The tide washed ashore, and there was a calm breeze. Yugi could smell the salty water mixing with sand. In his hand he clutched the letter that Seto had written to him and tears rolled down his cheeks.

_We were too late..._

For a long while the group stared at the sea shimmering in the moonlight. Above, the clouds dissipitated, revealing thousands and thousands of glittering stars. They danced and glimmered in the sky and Yugi looked up, feeling numb and void of all emotion.

_They left..._

He stared at the sea for a long while where the sun had sank. He felt a hand on each shoulder and looked to see Jou and Yami. Jou was clutching Seto's card deck and Yami was holding his puzzle in his hands.

  
  
_ Am I cold-hearted? _


End file.
